Various mechanical actuators, such as, by way of non-limiting example, mechanical actuators employed to expand and retract a wing flap associated with an aircraft, typically join a fixed member to an adjustable and/or movable member. The mechanical actuators may actuate in response to various forces being applied to the mechanical actuator. By way of non-limiting example, a controller may selectively control a motor that applies a predetermined force that drives a component of the mechanical actuator in response to a signal received from the controller.
The component driven by the motor may be configured such that, when driven in one direction, the mechanical actuator may actuate in a first direction. Conversely, the component driven by the motor may be configured, such that, when driven in another direction, the mechanical actuator may actuate in a second direction. By way of non-limiting example, a mechanical actuator may be configured to expand and retract a wing flap of an aircraft. The wing flap may expand when the mechanical actuator is actuated in the first direction. Conversely, the wing flap may retract when the mechanical actuator is actuated in the second direction.
In some scenarios, a mechanical actuator may bind as a result of an unexpected force acting on the mechanical actuator. By way of non-limiting example, a wing flap associated with an aircraft may malfunction due to debris in a track associated with the wing flap and/or a sudden force, such as wind or other natural forces, being applied to the wing flap. In scenarios where the wing flap malfunctions, the force applied by the motor to the component of the mechanical actuator may suddenly increase. For example, the mechanical actuator may be prevented from actuating in the first direction when the wing flap malfunctions during expansion. Because the normal motion of the actuated device (i.e., the normal motion of the wing flap) may not occur, the force applied to the component may increase. The increase in force may cause the mechanical actuator and/or the actuated device to bind and/or become damaged. Accordingly, a system for limiting a force applied by the mechanical actuator and/or to serve as a form of mechanical fuse may be desirable.